Everyone who works in the veterinary profession for any amount of time has heard that “vets are only in it for the money” or that we are in cahoots with pet food and pharmaceutical companies and get kickbacks for recommending their products. But those opinions are far from the truth. We know that our clients… Read More
Life With Clients
Do I Give it a Go or Just Say No?
Here’s the scenario: you are in general practice and you have a patient that needs surgery. It is not a surgery that you have ever done, nor do you feel comfortable doing it. You recommend referral to a specialist. The owners don’t have the money for the referral. In fact, they have about $800 to… Read More
The Art of Not Making Everybody Happy All the Time
In my time as a CVT I’ve witnessed and assisted in more euthanasias than I can count. The old age, the sick, the unexpected. The “we’re ready,” and the “we weren’t ready yet.” I’ve listened to stories about the tired old dog in his puppyhood while the owner imagined him running free again. I’ve assured… Read More
Pet Owners, Just Let Us Do Our Job
I recently had to use my stern voice. You know the one. It started with a “ma’am” because I feel like that sets the tone. Then I got my hand movements involved. A little bit of waving and motioning helped for maybe five seconds then I had to say a stern “ma’am” again. In the… Read More
Long ER Waiting Times Are Stressful. I Feel it, Too
It was a typical busy night in the ICU. Patients were coming in several at a time, procedures were piling up and multiple animals needed to be hospitalized for immediate treatments. As I rushed from patient to patient, filling in my technician on what needs to get done, receiving results from blood/ urine tests and… Read More
It’s Not About You… They Might Have Diarrhea
This was Mrs. Rudder’s third visit to see me about Harry’s skin. The little old pug sat happily on the bench next to her and I gently looked him over. Overall, he was doing great! His skin was less red and he was no longer keeping her up at night with his scratching. However, as… Read More